Connected Classroom

ABSTRACT

A connected classroom system provides for local and remote control and display of media streams. An instructor may, for instance, direct audio/video streams of the instructor to any number of displays and speakers located within a classroom. The system may send and receive control instructions to and from remote classrooms as well, through a network interface. The control instructions may configure any set of presentation devices in any classroom to reproduce any content originating from any source within any classroom. Accordingly, multiple classrooms located in disparate locations may participate in media exchanges arising from any source, including instructors and individual student seating locations within the classrooms.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present patent document claims the benefit of priority to Indiaprovisional Patent Application No. 4917/CHE/2014, filed in the IndianPatent Office on Sep. 30, 2014, and titled “Connected Classroom,” thecontent of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a system for facilitating engaging andcollaborative instruction sessions.

BACKGROUND

Advances in computer and communication technologies have changed howpeople can communicate, and has both necessitated and facilitated achange in how people communicate and how information and instruction isdelivered. Instruction tools have emerged allowing users across theworld to connect with one another. Traditional instruction tools likewebinars and virtual instructors are used with the intent of pushingcontent out to users, and typically provide a one directionalcommunication process between an instructor and participant. Astechnological advances have challenged traditional notions of theclassroom setting, given that people may interact globally, a needexists for an instructive platform that provides the ability for anengaging and collaborative classroom environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 provides an example of the environment in which the connectedclassroom system may be deployed.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example classroom layout that may be used tofacilitate a classroom session.

FIG. 3 provides examples of additional layouts that may be used in theconnected classroom system.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a control that may be provided on acontrol unit.

FIG. 5 illustrates a system architecture on which the connectedclassroom may be implemented.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 6A illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 6B illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 7 illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 8 illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 9 illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 10 illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 10A illustrates another example of the various system componentsand connections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 11 illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 12 illustrates another example of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 12A illustrates another example of the various system componentsand connections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 12B illustrates another example of the various system componentsand connections that may be used in a connected classroom.

FIG. 12C illustrates another example of the various system componentsand connections that may be used in a connected classroom.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 provides an example of the environment in which the connectedclassroom system 100 may be deployed. At a high level, the system 100may include one or more classrooms 110, each having one or moreparticipants 120 and/or instructors 130. The participants 120 andinstructors 130 may have one or more participant devices 121 andinstructor devices 131 that they may use to interact with the system.The participants 120 and instructors 130 may engage the system 100, forexample, through laptops 122, tablets 123, or smart phones 124, whichmay provide for bidirectional communication with the system, and mayprovide, for example and without limitation, a device display, a deviceinterface, a device camera, and a device microphone.

The classrooms 110 may play different roles, where a classroom may havea local instructor 130 (classroom 110 a) or where the instructor 130 ispresenting remotely (connected classroom 110 b). The system 100 may alsoallow for the roles of the classroom to be changed at any given moment.For example, an instructive session may include a number of differentinstructors who may provide instruction from different locations. Theremote classrooms 110 may be down the hall, on a different floor, in adifferent building, down the street or across campus, or in a differentcity. For example, an instructor 130 at the Chicago location may give a15 minute introduction (e.g., icebreaker, general introductions) andthen hand the presentation off to an instructor 130 at the Parislocation for 45 minutes (e.g., lecture and Q&A session), and finish withan instructor 130 in India putting on an interactive workshop sessionfor another 30 minutes. The classrooms 110 may provide internalcommunication over local networks 150, and may be able to communicateother connected classrooms 110 b over external networks 155, which mayinclude the Internet. The classrooms 110 may, for example, transmitvideo data to one another or different control signals or messages.

The classroom 110 may assume different layouts and include differentcomponents, which may individually and collectively facilitate anengaging and collaborative classroom environment. The system 100 mayprovide an instructive platform facilitating collaboration betweenparticipants 120 and instructors 130, who may be at the same ordifferent locations, and allow for an engaging and interactive classroomexperience.

FIG. 2 provides an example classroom layout 200, where the classroom 110may include one or more tables 210 and one or more chairs 211 for theparticipants 120 and instructors 130. The classroom 110 may also includeone or more microphones 220, speakers 223, telephones 225, cameras 230,displays 240, digital whiteboards, tablet, desktop, or other types ofcomputers, and any other type of interactive device. The classroom 200may include various tools through which the instructors 130 andparticipants 120 may interact. Some classrooms 110, for example, mayalso include interactive displays 250, collaboration hubs 260, andinteractive controls 270, e.g., implemented on a tablet or desktopcomputer.

The system 100 is not limited to the example of FIG. 2, but may assume avariety of different layouts, which may provide different collaborativeadvantages. FIG. 3 shows additional layouts, including, an 10 layout 310a, an IDC layout 310 b, a local office layout 310 c, small local officelayout 310 d, and a triangulated layout 310 e. In the triangulatedlayout 310 e, for example, the displays are arranged in a triangleeliminating the traditional “front” of the room concept.

Returning back to FIG. 2, the classroom 110 may include one or moretables 210 a-210 d at which one or more participants 120 may besituated. The individual tables 210 a-210 d may allow for participants120 to be split into sub-groups, and may facilitate collaborativeactivities within a sub-group. The tables 210 may also be arranged sothat participants 120 at the tables 210 are able to view a stage area290, where the instructor 130 may present from. The classroom 110 mayinclude an instructor table or lectern 211 in or near the staging 290,and could also include a lectern in the center of the classroom whereparticipants 120 could walk up to and speak from. For example, aparticipant 120, or a sub-group of participants 120, may walk up to thelectern 211 in presenting to the class.

The classroom 110 may also provide for one or more displays 240, whichmay be positioned throughout the classroom 110 and may serve differentfunctions based on the instructional context. The displays 240, alongwith the system logic, may display and change content (e.g., audio andvideo sources) in a coordinated fashion in order to enrich the classroomexperience. As noted, the role of the displays 240 may change at anytime (e.g., changes in content source), which may occur automaticallywhen certain predefined rules or criteria are met. In other cases, achange in the display 240 role may be manually triggered by theinstructor 130 or one of the participants 120.

With reference to FIG. 2, the classroom layout 200 provides for severaldifferent displays 240, which may have different attributes (e.g., size,resolution, etc.). The classroom 110, for example, may have a tablelevel display (e.g., 40″ LCD display) located at each table 240 e-240 h,along with large classroom displays (e.g., 85″ LCD or Projectiondisplays) located along the walls 240 a-240 d. The position of thedisplays 240 may also help to provide an engaging experience. The tablelevel displays 240 may, for example, display the instructor presentationmaterials, and in some contexts may be disabled, for example, where theinstructor 130 hopes to maintain focus by minimizing distractions.Likewise, with reference to FIG. 2, the classroom layout 200 may providelarge classroom displays 240 a-240 d on the wall across from the stagearea 240 a, 240 b and at the stage area 240 c, 240 d. In an exemplaryscenario, screens 240 a, 240 c may display the same content, forexample, the instructor's presentation materials. Screens 240 b, 240 d,similarly, may both display a video feed from a connected classroom 110b. When presenting from stage area 290, the instructor 130 may look toscreens 240 a, 240 b to verify the presentation materials are properlydisplayed to the participants 120 and monitor and interact withparticipants 120 and instructors 130 in other connected classrooms 110b. Since screens 240 a, 240 b may be within the instructors 130 field ofview, the instructor 130 need not look to screens 240 b, 240 d and,thus, may be able to maintain line of sight with local participants 120.Furthermore, because the content on the displays is mirrored between thescreens, the instructor 130 may also be able to look at a commonlocation, for example, when moving about the classroom, and may observethe same information or content.

The displays 240 may also take the form of interactive displays 250which provide for additional functionality beyond audio and videodisplay functions. The interactive display 250 functionality may beimplemented through a software or hardware solution, which may serve toextend the functionality of a display 240. Interactive displays 250 may,for example, allow for real-time annotation, highlighting of content andother illustrative abilities, all of which may be captured and saved foroffline distribution. In order to provide a bidirectional real-timeinteraction, the system 100 may utilize an enterprise communicationframework (e.g., Microsoft Lync) for certain underlying functionality.For instance, the system 100 in providing for interactive communicationbetween a local and remote interactive display 250 may utilize theenterprise communication framework to transmit local user activity forremote display. The communication framework may provide for varyingquality of service levels which may allow the system to provide forreal-time interaction. One example of a commercial available interactivedisplay 250 that may be able to perform the above mentioned functions isPolyvision Eno One Whiteboard.

In some classroom layouts 200, the instructor 130 may be able toleverage the interactive displays 250 to augment a presentation. Forexample, screen 240 a may be an interactive display 250, and theinstructor 130 may be able to use the display 250 to illustrate aconcept described in the presentation materials. In other layouts, thetable level displays 240 e-240 h may be interactive displays 250,allowing for table level interaction and collaboration that can becaptured and shared through the system 100. The system 100 may useinteractive displays 250 to support collaborative editing or contentcreation, for example, in a brainstorming session.

As mentioned above, the classroom 110 may include microphones 220, whichmay be positioned at different locations within the classroom. Forexample, microphones 220 may be provided at the tables 210 a-210 d.Additionally, or alternatively, the classroom 110 may includemicrophones 220 secured to the ceiling or provide a wireless microphone220 to the instructor 130. The microphones 220 may, individually and/orcollectively, be used to capture dialogue throughout the room, and maybe selectively enabled and disabled. For example, the instructor 130and/or system may activate a table microphone 220 when a participant 130asks a question. In other situations, like an open classroom discussion,the system logic may activate all of the microphones 220 in theclassroom.

The classroom layout 200 may also place cameras 230 at differentpositions in the room, which may capture different perspectives of theclassroom experience. The field of view 231, 232 of the cameras 230 maynot be fixed and may be adjusted, depending on the instructive scenario,for example, the camera may be able to pan in the horizontal or verticaldirections as well as “zoom” in and out. The camera 230 b may, forexample, zoom in a participant when they are asking a question orotherwise interacting with the classroom.

While a pair of cameras 230 is illustrated in FIG. 2, the system 100 mayinclude several cameras 230 which may further facilitate the learningexperience. Additional cameras may, for example, allow the system 100 toaccount for the nominal delay associated with adjusting a camera, whichmay provide for an undisturbed visual experience for the user. Forexample, in a rapid fire question and answer session, the system 100 mayfacilitate a queue of sorts and may seamlessly transition betweenparticipants 120 in the queue, by orchestrating a handoff between thecameras 230. Any necessary camera 230 adjustments may take place whilethe other camera 230 is inactive.

The cameras 230 may be utilized in different capacities depending on theinstructive context. The cameras 230, along with the system logic, mayallow the instructors 130 to teach virtually while maintaining a strongconnection with the participants 120. By way of example, as illustratedin FIG. 2, one camera 230 a may be placed opposite the stage area 290,and may have a stage field of view 231 directed towards the stage area290. Another camera 230 b may be positioned at the center of the stagearea 290 and may have a classroom field of view 232 directed towards thetables 210 and participants 120. One camera 230 a may capture theinstructor giving the lecture or presentation while another camera 230 bfocuses on the reaction of the participants 120.

Adjustment of the camera 230 may be assisted by the system 100, whichmay use a set of pre-determined criteria to determine which camera 230provides the optimal view, and may facilitate a handoff from one camerato another when the optimal view changes. The system 100 may coordinatecameras 230 across different classrooms 110 to provide a smooth andcomfortable collaborative experience. The camera 230 may alsoautomatically track an active participant 120 or instructor 130 in theclassroom 110, which may be assisted by location sensing performed bythe system 100 and/or assisted by a device located on the instructor 130or participant 120. An example of a commercially available camera 230that may, independently or under control of the system 100, be able toperform the above described functionality, is the Cisco PrecisionHD1080p 12× camera.

In some contexts, the cameras 230 may provide participants 120 with theability to network across locations. For example, during a break in aclassroom session, the cameras 230 and microphones 220 may becomeactive, and the participants 120 may talk to one another from betweendifferent locations. Furthermore, cameras 230 from different locationsmay be bridged together to provide a shared course experience. Forexample, multiple satellite classrooms 110 may be assembled as a teamand may communicate internally over the bridge and/or collectivelycommunicate to the other classrooms.

The classroom 110 may also include one or more video codec (VC) units235 which may be hidden from view in a concealed storage rack area 291.The VC unit 235 may accept any number of audio or video inputs (e.g.,digital cameras 230 and microphones 220) and support multiple outputstreams, which may facilitate various system 100 functions. The VC unit235 may be responsible for establishing a connection with a remote VCunit 235, while the system logic may identify what audio and videoinputs to select for encoding. The VC unit 235 may also be capable oftranscoding and broadcasting the input streams, and may adjust settings(e.g., resolution and/or frame rate) optimized for different networkconditions (e.g., bandwidth, latency, etc.). For example, output streamsused within the local classroom 110 may be optimized for a higher speedlocal network, while output streams broadcast to connected classrooms110 b may be optimized for relatively slower networks, e.g., the publicInternet. While the VC unit 235 is not limited to transmission over anysingle network, transmitting the VC unit stream over a private networkmay provide additional security for the system.

The VC unit 235 may also provide for a programming interface (e.g.,through a web API) through which its operation may be controlled. As anexample of commercially available technologies, Cisco's TelePresenceCodec (e.g., C40 or C90) may support the above described system 100functionality.

In other instructive settings, the system 100 may provide real-timeinteraction between participants 120 and instructors 130. For instance,the system 100 may take a live poll of the audience, which may bedistributed through the enterprise messaging platform (e.g., MicrosoftLync) to the user devices 121. The system 100 could allow for a questionand answer session, where participants 120 both local and remote submitquestions, for example, over Lync or through a Web Interface. The system100 may also be able to determine the location of the participant 120who submitted the question within the classroom 110, remote or local,and adjust the cameras 230 accordingly.

The classroom layout 200 may provide collaboration hubs 260 at each ofthe tables, which may allow participants 120 to share content locally,at the table level or classroom level, or system wide. The system 100may facilitate the sharing of numerous content types including,documents, presentations, hyperlinks, media, or the like. Theparticipants 120 may also share content from participant devices 121(e.g., share their laptop 121 computer screen). At the table level, thecollaboration hubs 260 may facilitate content sharing betweenparticipants 120 at the same table (e.g., 210 a), and at the classroomlevel the participants 120 may share content with users at differenttables (e.g., 210 b-d). The collaboration hub 260 may also provideparticipants 120 with the ability to connect with instructors 130 andexperts outside of the local classroom (e.g., at connected classroom 110b). The collaboration hub 260, with the aid of other system 100components, may be able to facilitate collaboration and content sharingat different levels simultaneously (e.g., between participants at table210 a and table 210 c, and between participants at tables 210 b andparticipants 120 at connected classroom 110 b).

Furthermore, as noted above, any display 240 can be extended to becomean interactive display 250 through hardware and/or software solutions.The system 100, through the collaboration hub 260, may allowparticipants 120 at one table (e.g., table 210 a) to annotate orotherwise interact with content shared by participants 120 at othertables (e.g., table 210 b-210 d). Also as mentioned above, theparticipants 120 may be able to network with participants 120 in otherlocations and the collaboration hub 260 may be used to augment thisnetworking activity.

The system 100, through the collaboration hub 260, may also allowparticipants 120 to virtually interact with participants 120 atdifferent tables 210 and different classrooms 110 (e.g., connectedclassroom 110 b) and to solve problems together and/or in a distributedmanner. For example, the collaboration hub 260 may allow participants tolead presentations in the classroom 110 (e.g., presenting their solutionto a problem presented by the instructor 130), or perform otheractivities and simulations (e.g., simulating a mock client interview).The collaboration hub 260 may also allow a group of participants 120tasked with solving a problem to divide the workload having individualparticipants 120 perform needed tasks in parallel (e.g., performresearch on the Internet, prepare a presentation deck, or compile andanalyze data in a spreadsheet).

In other instructive contexts, the collaboration hub 260 may allowparticipants 120 to connect and interface directly with instructors 130,regardless of location. Furthermore, this collaboration may occur at thetable or individual participant level. For example, a sub-group ofparticipants 120 (e.g., participants 120 at table 210 a) may be able tointeract with remotely located (e.g., connected classroom 110 b)instructors 130 or experts. In such a scenario, table level displays 240may display the instructor 130, and web cameras 230 positioned atop thetable level displays 240 may provide the remote instructor 130 with aview of the participants 120 at the table. Communication between theparticipants 120 and instructors 130 may also be aided by enterprisecommunication software and a speakerphone 233,235 at the table 210. Anexample of a commercially available speakerphone 233,235 is the JabraSPEAK410 USB Speakerphone, which may utilize a USB connection tointerface with the collaboration hub 260 directly or indirectly througha participant device 121 or instructor device 130.

The system 100 may be able to adapt various commercially availabledevices to provide the above described functionality of thecollaboration hubs 260. For example, the system may include the BarcoClickShare wireless presentation and collaboration system or Steelcasemedia:scape.

The system 100 may also utilize various interactive controls 270, whichmay be provided to individual participants 120 or to a table 210, whereit may be shared by several participants 120. The interactive controls270 provided to the participants 120 may be a physical device orelectronic (e.g., provided through a web interface). The system 100, forexample, may provide participants 120 with a device having variousbuttons, which they may use to respond to questions presented by theinstructor 130. The interactive controls 270 may provide differentinputs to the system, which the system logic may process to providecertain functionality. For example, a table 210 may be provided with aphysical button 270 (“look-at-me” button 270) that the participants 120may press in different contexts. Pressing and releasing the button 270,for example, may cause the system 100 to trigger one event (e.g.,pushing the participant's 120 content to the entire classroom 110,including connected classrooms 110 b. Pressing and holding the button270 may trigger a different event. The system 100 may also respond tounique sequences of input from the interactive controls 270, forexample, triggering an event when the button is tapped in shortsuccession (e.g., double tap). The system logic may also provide theinstructor 130 with a notification that a certain event has been sensed.

The system 100 may also include a control unit 280, which the instructor130 may use while moving through the classroom 110 and may be docked atthe instructor table 210. Through the control unit 280, the instructor130 may be able to control the learning experience, by coordinating thevarious system components in the classroom 110. For example, theinstructor 130 through the control unit 280 may be able to share contentacross any of the displays 240, both local and remote (e.g., displays240 in connected classroom 110 b).

The control unit 280 may aggregate control of the various system 100components into a single device through which technical adjustments maybe made. The functionality of the control unit 280 may be facilitated byadditional system components and system logic, which may be responsiblefor certain “behind the scenes” tasks and operations. The control unit280 may also provide a control interface 281, which may allow theinstructor 130 to intuitively control and switch between differentteaching modes.

The control unit 280 may provide instructor driven controls to adjustthe various components of the system 100. The instructor 130, throughthe control unit 280, may be able to adjust various settings, forexample, where the cameras 230 are pointing (e.g., by panning or zoominga particular camera 230) and corresponding capture settings (e.g.,resolution). For example, the control unit 280 may allow the instructor130 to choose from different views of the stage area 290. These viewsmay include a close-up view of the instructor 130 themselves or a viewcovering the instructor 130 and interactive display 250.

The control unit 280 may facilitate multiple layers of control, allowingan instructor to use pre-programmed views or manually control thecameras 230. The control unit 280 and control interface 281 may providepre-programmed scenarios to adjust settings (e.g., camera positions andcapture settings). For example, the control unit 280 may havepre-programmed views for each table 210 a-210 d. The pre-programmedviews may provide for a crisper experience (e.g., adjusting pan and zoomsimultaneously) as the camera 230 adjustment may be controlled by thesystem logic, and may not be subject to problems associated with manualcontrol (e.g., over correction, disjointed adjustment of pan and zoom).Furthermore, the control unit 280 may allow an instructor 130 to storeadditional custom pre-programmed views

The control unit 280 may also provide the ability to control the content(e.g., video source) that is presented on displays 240 throughout theclassrooms 110, both local 110 a and remote 110 b. For example, thecontrol unit 280 may be able to select a remote video feed, the videofeed from a particular camera 230 (local or remote), or participant 120content provided through the collaboration hub 260. The control unit 280may allow individual control of the displays 240 or allow the displays240 to be controlled in groups (e.g., wall displays 240 a-d, or tablelevel displays 240 e-h).

The control unit 280 may also provide the instructor with variousnotifications, allowing participants 120 to provide real-time feedback.For example, the control unit 280 may provide notifications from theenterprise messaging system, including questions submitted by theparticipants 120 or participant 120 responses to a poll orquestionnaire. The control unit 280 may also present feedback frominteractive controls 270, including, for example, and indication that aparticipant 120 has pressed the look-at-me button 270, along with theresponse that is to be triggered based on the button pressing sequence.The system logic may automatically trigger a response (e.g.,automatically push the participant 120 content to all of the screens) tothe feedback received from the look-at-me 270 button, or it may providethe instructor 130 with the ability to manually trigger the response orto ignore the request.

The control unit 280 may also allow the instructor 130 control over whatfunctionality is available to participants (e.g., enable or disablecertain functionality). For example, in some cases the instructor 130may want to give an uninterrupted presentation, saving questions for theend, and through the control unit 280 may disable the look-at-me button270 functionality. In other situations, the instructor 130 through thecontrol unit 280 may be able to enable or disable participant 120microphones 220, for example, to disable the microphone 220 of adisruptive participant 130 or table 210. The system logic may also usethis ability to facilitate collaborative interactions, for example, byimplementing a (“Jeopardy” styled) timer, enabling feedback frominteractive controls 270 after a certain pre-determined period of timehas passed. The system 100 may also let the participants observe wheninteractive controls 270 are available, for example, providing theactive status of the interactive control 270 through a web interface.

The control unit 280 may also allow the instructor 130 to record andcapture, in a media database in communication with the systemcomponents, all of the above described interactions, at the touch of abutton. The system 100, for example, may capture video content passingthrough the system, content created using an interactive display orwhiteboard, and audio content from individual or group discussions. Thesystem 100 may also record different coordination information,including, for example and without limitation, event timing,transitions, and triggers, which may allow for a better orchestratedplayback experience.

The AMX Touch Panel is one example of a commercially available controlunit 280 that may be adapted to provide the above described control unit280 functionality.

FIG. 4 provides an example of a control interface 281 that may beprovided to an instructor 130 on a control unit 280. The controlinterface 281 may be presented to an instructor 130 in a local classroom(110 a) or a connected classroom (110 b). As the classrooms 110 that arelocal or connected may change at any given moment, so too may thecontrol interface 281 that is presented to the instructor 130.

With reference to FIG. 4, the control interface 281 may provide a seriesof buttons along the top of the interface, including a home button 401,a help button 402, and a tech button 403. The control interface 281 mayalso allow for selection of pre-programmed configurations, for example,a default room option 405, a break-out session option 406, and aninteractive white board option 407. The control interface 281 maylikewise provide a group discussion button 408, a teach-back option 409and a queue option 410. The control interface 381 may additionally allowfor adjustment of the classroom audio, illustrated in a panel on theright of the screen, by providing buttons to mute all microphones 451,mute all audio 452, or to adjust the audio volume 453. The controlinterface 281 may also provide a main control area corresponding to aclassroom layout 200, where information regarding the classroom 110elements may be presented as an icon, an indicator, an image or button,and/or text. With reference to FIG. 4, the control interface 281 mayprovide indicators for the lectern 411, interactive display 412, HDdisplays 413, tables 414, including table level displays 414 a and tablemicrophones 414 b, interactive controls 415, and camera view options andindicators 435,436. As illustrated, FIG. 4 may represent the defaultconfiguration of the room, for example when the default roomconfiguration button 405 is selected or when the system 100 is firstinitialized. The default room option 405, for example, may beappropriate for leading a presentation to the class.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, in the default configuration 405, theinteractive display 250 and HD display 240 a may provide lecterncontent, while the other HD displays 240 b, 240 d may display videocontent from the remote connected classroom 110 b, for example, receivedfrom remote VC unit 235. The camera view indicator 435 may indicate thatthe camera 230 is capturing the wide angle instructor view, and cameraview indicator 436 may indicate that the “self-view” is active, whereina camera view of the instructor 130 is being displayed as apicture-in-picture on HD display 240 b.

With regards to the four tables 210 a-210 d, the control interface 281,may indicate what content is driven to the table level displays 414 aalong with the status of the table microphones 414 b and interactivecontrols (e.g., look-at-me button status) 415. As illustrated, forexample, the table level displays 240 e-h may all show the lecterncontent, and all of the microphones 220 may be muted. By selecting themicrophone indicators 414 b, the instructor may be able to activate ordeactivate the microphone at the corresponding table 210.

The control interface 281 may facilitate additional system changes basedon the selection of different options. For example, if the break outsession 406 option is selected, the content provided to table leveldisplays 240 e-240 h may be changed to show content from participants atthe table provided, for example, through collaboration hub 260. Thecamera view and indicator 435 may remain the same and the microphonesmay remain muted. As another example, when the white board option ispressed 407 the system 100 may cycle through the different availablevideo sources to provide to interactive display 250. The controlinterface 281 may also provide the instructor 130 with the option toselect from various camera preset selections, create and/or modify userdefined presets, or provide for manual camera controls by pressing thecamera option button 435. Similarly, pressing the camera indicator 436may toggle between enabling and disabling the picture-in-picture feature(mentioned above). Similarly, the group discussion indicator 408 may beused to toggle the microphones 220 on or off to facilitate a classroomdiscussion.

The control interface 281 may also provide indications 415 regarding thedifferent interactive controls 170 in the classroom, and allow theinstructor 130 to control this functionality, for example, using theteach back 409 and queue 410 functions. The teach back 409 option mayenable processing of input received from the look-at-me devices 415, andmay allow participants to lead a teaching discussion back to the class,and the queue 410 option may allow for queueing the received input(e.g., in a rapid fire question and answer session).

The system 100 may process the input of the look-at-me devices 270, whenactive. For example, when active in the default configuration 405, ashort press of the look-at-me device 270 may trigger an adjustment ofthe cameras 230 based on the location of the triggering look-at-medevice 270 and unmuting of the respective table microphone 220. Upon along button press, the system 100 may additionally push the tablescontent (e.g., provided through collaboration hub 260) to the VC unit235 and direct the VC unit 235 to provide the tables content as anoutput, which the system 100 may then distribute locally and remotely.The system 100 could trigger an entirely different response, based onthe interactive control 270 input, when in a break out configuration406. In either case, the system 100 adjustments may be temporary, andthe system 100 may remember the previous state of the system 100 andreturn to the previous configuration upon an additional press of thelook-at-me device 270 or some other condition. Furthermore, theadjustments may take place automatically or may require some sort ofvalidation or approval from the instructor 130 which may be providedthrough the interactive control indicators 415 of the control interface281.

FIG. 5 provides an example of a high level system architecture 500 onwhich the connected classroom system may be implemented. The system 100may include a media controller 501, which may be responsible forcontrolling the various components of the system 100, including forexample, microphones 220, cameras 230, interactive displays 250, andinteractive controls 270. The media controller 501 may provide controlsignals to, and receive state and feedback information from, the controlpanel 550, over a control bus 511. The controller 501 may be thought toestablish a set of control mechanisms by which each of the componentsare controlled. While the controller may be provided with and performcertain logic, the logic implemented on the controller may depend on theinputs received from the various system components. The AMX device mayexchange different directives and coordination requests to the systemcomponents over a standard AMX device protocol. For example, the mediacontroller 501 may activate or deactivate the microphones 220 orphysically adjust the location of focus of the cameras 230. The mediacontroller 501 may take as inputs various input source data streams, forexample, audio input streams from microphones 220, video input streamsfrom cameras 230, and interactive control input data streams frominteractive controls 270. The media controller 501 may also provide aseries of output data streams (e.g., audio and video), which it mayprovide to the various other system components (e.g., speakers 323 anddisplays 240).

The media controller 501 may be used to facilitate different system 100capabilities, including, for example, adjustment of the cameras 230,switching of audio and video content sent to displays 240 and classroomspeakers 223, and processing of input received from interactive controls270. The media controller 501 may also manage the different VC units235, for example, changing the input for, and adjusting the encodingsettings of, the VC unit 235 (e.g., identifying what data streams toencode and output).

The media controller 501 may also generate content data streams andcontrol channel data streams. The content data stream output by themedia controller 501, for example, may be a wide-angle view of the stagearea 290, transcoded by the VC unit 235 for transmission by the mediacontroller 501 to the remote connected classrooms 110 b. Control panel280 may provide control messages across control bus 511 to the mediacontroller 501, which may control local classroom devices. The controlchannel data stream may, for example, provide commands directing amatrix switcher 512 to display particular content on remote displays240. As another example, the media controller 501 may direct the audiomixer to direct microphone 220 input streams as output streams toclassroom speakers 223.

The media controller 501 may also transmit commands to connectedclassrooms 110 b, which may in turn be processed by remote mediacontrollers 501 to control remote classroom devices. In a rapid firequestion and answer session, for example, the media controller 501 mayexchange commands with connected classrooms 110 b to coordinate theadjustment of remote cameras 230 and encoding by remote VC unit 235 soas to provide a seamless video change between participants 120 indifferent classrooms 110.

The media controller 501 may be a single component or several components(e.g., VC unit 235, matrix switches 512, audio mixer 513) that maycollectively implement the system logic of the media controller 501.FIGS. 6-12 illustrate different examples of devices that may be used informing a media controller 501, including different integratedcontrollers, matrix video switches, HDMI video switches audio mixers,and user control devices.

FIGS. 6-12 illustrate examples of the various system components andconnections that may be used in a connected classroom. FIGS. 6 a and 6 balong with FIGS. 12 a, 12 b and 12 c illustrate portions of FIG. 6 andFIG. 12 in larger scale.

FIG. 6 illustrates an integrated controller 601 in connection with anHDMI switch 602, a pair of AEC audio mixers 603, a matrix video switch604, a VC unit 605, various displays 607 and interactive displays 606,interactive controls 608 (“show me” buttons), table microphones 609, anda control panel 610. As examples of commercially available devices, theintegrated controller 601 may be NetLinx Integrated Controller NI-3100offered by AMX, the HDMI switch 602 may be an FGP-46-0808-JD0 alsooffered by AMX, the matrix video switch 604 may be the AVS-PL-0808-00Pby AMX, and the VC unit 605 may be the C60 Cisco TelePresence Codec. Theaudio mixers 603 may be Nexia VC mixers offered by Biamp, and thecontrol panel 610 may be an AMX MXT-1001 touch panel.

The integrated controller 601 may be in two-way communication, overRS232 connections 611-615, with the HDMI switcher 602, the pair of AECaudio mixers 603, the matrix video switcher 604, the VC unit 605, andinteractive display 606. The integrated controller 601 may communicatewith displays 607 over one-directional RS232 connections 616-622, andmay communicate with the control panel 609 over an Ethernet connection623. The interactive controls 607 and table microphones 608 may beanalog or digital inputs provided over connections 624, 625. The VC unit605 may communicate, over an RJ45 to RS232 connection 651, with cameras650, which may inter-communicate amongst themselves over RJ45 Ethernetconnections 652.

FIG. 8 provides an illustration of an HDMI switch 602 in greater detail,where the switch may accept eight input streams 811-818 and supporteight output streams 801-808. The input streams 811-818 provided to HDMIswitch 602 may include HDMI inputs 811-815 from faceplates at the tableand monitor streams 816,817 from VC unit 235, which may correspond tostreams captured from cameras 230 a, 230 b. With reference to FIG. 12,the HDM inputs 811-815 may be provided from laptops 1211-1215 providedthrough faceplates 1221-1225 at a table 210.

The output streams 801-808 may include streams 801-805,808 provideddirectly to HD displays 240 and interactive display 250, streams 816provided to a distribution amplifier 836 which may replicate the videostream on multiple HD displays 240. The output stream may also includecontent streams 817 provided to the VC unit 235. With reference to FIG.12, the streams 801-804,808 may be provided to an HDMI transmitter1231-1234,1238 (e.g., DXLink HDMI Transmitter Module,AVB-TX-HDMI-DXLINK) which may communicate with an HDMI receiver1241-1244,1248 (e.g., DXLink HDMI Receiver Module, AVB-RX-DXLINK-HDMI)in connection with HD displays. An output stream 805 is provideddirectly to the interactive display 250, and an output stream 806 isprovided to distribution amplifier 836 (e.g., Kramer HDMI DistributionAmplifier), which may replicate the signal and provide it to HD displaysor by using an HDMI transmitter 1235 and HDMI receiver 1245. FIGS. 7 and11 provide a more detailed illustration of a matrix video switcher 604that is similar to the description of HDMI switch 602 just provided withreference to FIGS. 8 and 12.

Also as illustrated in FIG. 12 and FIG. 9, the HD displays may be incommunication with an audio mixer 1216, for example, providing inputaudio streams 939, 940. The audio mixer 1216 may be in communicationwith other audio mixers 1217, over transmit 951 and receive channels952, and amplifiers 1218 (e.g., Crown 280A Amplifier). The audio mixers1217 may have various input data streams 911-921, including aninstructor 130 collar microphone 1241 (e.g., Shure SVX14/PG185)providing input data stream 918, a handheld microphone 1242 (e.g., ShureSVX24/PG58) providing input data stream 914, and table microphones 220(e.g., Shure MX396/C-Tri) each providing three input data streams911-913, 915-917, 931-933, 935-937. The audio mixer 1217 may provide anoutput data stream to amplifier 1218, which may be connected to a set ofceiling speakers 223 (e.g., JBL Ceiling Speakers, Control24CT) withinthe classroom 110.

The methods, devices, processing, and logic described above may beimplemented in many different ways and in many different combinations ofhardware and software. For example, all or parts of the implementationsmay be circuitry that includes an instruction processor, such as aCentral Processing Unit (CPU), microcontroller, or a microprocessor; anApplication Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), Programmable LogicDevice (PLD), or Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA); or circuitry thatincludes discrete logic or other circuit components, including analogcircuit components, digital circuit components or both; or anycombination thereof. The circuitry may include discrete interconnectedhardware components and/or may be combined on a single integratedcircuit die, distributed among multiple integrated circuit dies, orimplemented in a Multiple Chip Module (MCM) of multiple integratedcircuit dies in a common package, as examples.

The circuitry may further include or access instructions for executionby the circuitry. The instructions may be stored in a tangible storagemedium that is other than a transitory signal, such as a flash memory, aRandom Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), an ErasableProgrammable Read Only Memory (EPROM); or on a magnetic or optical disc,such as a Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CDROM), Hard Disk Drive (HDD),or other magnetic or optical disk; or in or on another machine-readablemedium. A product, such as a computer program product, may include astorage medium and instructions stored in or on the medium, and theinstructions when executed by the circuitry in a device may cause thedevice to implement any of the processing described above or illustratedin the drawings.

The implementations may be distributed as circuitry among multiplesystem components, such as among multiple processors and memories,optionally including multiple distributed processing systems.Parameters, databases, and other data structures may be separatelystored and managed, may be incorporated into a single memory ordatabase, may be logically and physically organized in many differentways, and may be implemented in many different ways, including as datastructures such as linked lists, hash tables, arrays, records, objects,or implicit storage mechanisms. Programs may be parts (e.g.,subroutines) of a single program, separate programs, distributed acrossseveral memories and processors, or implemented in many different ways,such as in a library, such as a shared library (e.g., a Dynamic LinkLibrary (DLL)). The DLL, for example, may store instructions thatperform any of the processing described above or illustrated in thedrawings, when executed by the circuitry.

Various implementations have been specifically described. However, manyother implementations are also possible.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing a collaborative teachingexperience in a classroom environment having a defined layout, thesystem comprising: presenter interface circuitry; participant interfacecircuitry; and a controller coupled between the presenter interfacecircuitry and the participant interface circuitry, where the controlleris configured to receive presentation mode inputs from, and controloperation of, one or more input devices via the presenter interfacecircuitry, and where the controller is configured to direct media streamoutputs to, and control operation of, one or more output devices via theparticipant interface circuitry, the controller having a plurality ofpresentation modes, each presentation mode defining an operatingconfiguration for coordinated control of the one or more input devicesand output devices, where the controller is operable to switch between afirst presentation mode of the plurality of presentation modes and asecond presentation mode of the plurality of presentation modesresponsive to presentation mode inputs received via the presenterinterface circuitry.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:remote communication circuitry operable to communicate with a remotecontroller, the remote controller operable to control one or more remoteinput devices and remote output devices located in a remote classroomenvironment, where the controller is coupled to the remote communicationcircuitry and is configured to receive a remote presentation mode inputfrom the remote controller via the remote communication circuitry, anddirect a remote media stream output to the remote controller via theremote communication circuitry.
 3. The system of claim 2, where theoperating configuration for each presentation mode of the controllerfurther provides for coordinated control of the one or more remote inputdevices and remote output devices by the remote controller via theremote communication circuitry.
 4. The system of claim 2, where thecontroller is configured to communicate with the remote controller toswitch between the first presentation mode and second presentation modein coordination with a change by the remote classroom controller from afirst remote presentation mode to a second remote presentation mode. 5.The system of claim 1 further comprising: an interactive display deviceconfigured to provide presentation mode inputs to the controller andrender media stream outputs received from the controller; and enterprisemessaging circuitry operable to provide an enterprise messaging platformthat enables real-time communication between the one or more inputdevices and output devices, where the controller is coupled to theenterprise messaging circuitry and is operable to provide enhancedinteraction via the interactive display.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherethe one or more input devices comprise a first camera having a firstfield of view, and a second camera having a second field of view, wherethe controller through the presenter interface circuitry is configuredto adjust the first camera to capture a presentation staging area andthe second camera to capture a participant viewing area.
 7. The systemof claim 1 where the presenter interface circuitry comprises a tabletcontrol interface, where the controller is configured to switch betweenthe first presentation mode and second presentation mode responsive topresentation mode inputs received via the tablet control interface, andwhere the controller is configured to control operation of the one ormore input devices responsive to presentation mode inputs received viathe tablet control interface.
 8. The system of claim 5 where thepresenter interface circuitry comprises a tablet control interface andthe controller is operable to provide real-time notifications regardingthe one or more input devices to the tablet control interface via theenterprise messaging circuitry.
 9. The system of claim 7 where thecontroller, responsive to presentation mode inputs received via thetablet control interface, selectively enables or disables the one ormore input devices and output devices.
 10. A method for providing acollaborative teaching experience in a classroom environment having adefined layout, the method comprising: receiving presentation modeinputs from one or more input devices at a controller via a presenterinterface circuitry; controlling the one or more input devices andoutput devices by the controller in a coordinated fashion according to afirst operating configuration associated with one of a plurality ofpresentation modes, each presentation mode defining an operatingconfiguration for coordinated control of the one or more input devicesand output devices; and switching operation of the controller from thefirst presentation mode to a second presentation mode responsive topresentation mode inputs received via the presenter interface circuitry,the second presentation mode defining a second operating configurationfor coordinated control of the one or more input devices and outputdevices.
 11. The method of claim 10 further comprising: controlling oneor more remote input devices and remote output devices located in aremote classroom environment via remote communication circuitry coupledto the controller, where the remote communication circuitry is incommunication with a remote controller in control one or more remoteinput devices and remote output devices located in a remote classroomenvironment; receiving a remote presentation mode input from the remotecontroller via the remote communication circuitry; and directing aremote media stream output to the remote controller via the remotecommunication circuitry.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprisingcoordinating control of one or more remote input devices and remoteoutput devices by the remote controller via the remote communicationcircuitry.
 13. The method of claim 11 where switching operation of thecontroller from the first presentation mode to the second presentationmode is performed in coordination with switching operation of the remotecontroller from a first remote presentation mode to a second remotepresentation mode.
 14. The method of claim 10 where the one or moreinput devices comprise a first camera and a second camera, the methodfurther comprising: adjusting a first camera having a first field ofview to capture a presentation staging area; and adjusting a secondcamera having a second field of view to capture a participant viewingarea.
 15. The method of claim 10 where switching between the firstpresentation mode and second presentation mode is performed in responseto receiving presentation mode inputs via a tablet control interface,and where controlling operation of the one or more input devices isperformed in response to receiving presentation mode inputs via thetablet control interface.
 16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:providing real-time notifications regarding the one or more inputdevices to a tablet control interface via an enterprise messagingplatform; and selectively enabling or disabling the one or more inputdevices via the tablet control interface responsive to presentation modeinputs received via the tablet control interface.
 17. A system forproviding a collaborative teaching experience in a classroom environmenthaving a defined layout, the system comprising: a controller coupled toa presenter interface circuitry and a participant interface circuitry,the controller being configured to receive presentation mode inputsfrom, direct media stream outputs to, and control the operation of: aplurality of wall displays, classroom microphones, and classroomspeakers; a plurality of participant tables having one or more seatinglocations positioned in the classroom environment according to thedefined layout, where each of the plurality of participant tablescomprises a table level display device, a table level microphone device,a collaboration hub device, interactive controls, or some combinationthereof; the controller having a plurality of presentation modes, eachpresentation mode defining an operating configuration for coordinatedcontrol of the one or more input devices and output devices, thecontroller being operable to switch between a first presentation mode ofthe plurality of presentation modes and a second presentation mode ofthe plurality of presentation modes responsive to presentation modeinputs received by the controller.
 18. The system of claim 17, thecontroller being further configured to receive presentation mode inputsfrom, direct media stream outputs to, and control the operation of: afirst camera having a first field of view, the first field of viewcapturing a presentation staging area; and a second camera having asecond field of view, the second field of view capturing a participantviewing area.
 19. The system of claim 17 further comprising: aninteractive display device configured to provide presentation modeinputs to the controller and render media stream outputs received fromthe controller; and enterprise messaging circuitry operable to providean enterprise messaging platform that enables real-time communicationbetween the one or more input devices and output devices, where thecontroller is coupled to the enterprise messaging circuitry and isoperable to provide enhanced interaction via the interactive display.20. The system of claim 17 where the presenter interface circuitrycomprises a tablet control interface, and where the controller isconfigured to switch between the first presentation mode and secondpresentation mode responsive to presentation mode inputs received viathe tablet control interface, and where the controller is configured tocontrol operation of the one or more input devices responsive topresentation mode inputs received via the tablet control interface.